Report of puppy in dumpster was false, authorities say

Related topics

Authorities say reports of a Dalmatian puppy abandoned in a dumpster last week were false.

The woman who brought the 6-week-old puppy to the Spokane Humane Society adopted the dog from a friend but decided she didn’t want it and didn’t have money to pay a release fee, said Jackie Bell, development coordinator for the Spokane County Regional Animal Protection Service.

Police are considering false reporting charges against the woman, whose name has not been released pending the criminal investigation.

The woman had said she’d found the puppy whimpering and barking in a large trash bin at a gas station near Freya Street and Francis Avenue on Wednesday. The Humane Society was offering a $2,500 reward for information on the abandonment, but an investigator with SCRAPS talked to people who knew the woman and determined the story was a hoax, Bell said.

Bell said the Humane Society only asks for donations if someone drops off an animal and SCRAPS is “very flexible” with release fees.

The puppy remains in foster care through the Spokane Humane Society, which will handle its adoption.